1. Literacy Learning for Lifelong Readers
BTS Family Literacy Night
December 3, 2013
Hosted by Reading Specialists
Donna Turso
Lucy Ragoza

2. Agenda
Introduction
What is Balanced Literacy?
Balanced Literacy in Practice at BTS
Supporting Balanced Literacy at Home
Literacy Stations

3. What does it mean to be a literate person in the 21st century?
Readily undertake the close, attentive reading that is at the heart of complex works of literature.
Actively seek the wide, deep, and thoughtful engagement with high-quality literary and informational texts that builds knowledge, enlarges experience and broadens world view.
Source: CCSS June 2, 2010

4. Importance of Parent/Teacher Partnership

5. How do we achieve 21st century literacy?
Balanced Literacy Instruction

6. What is Balanced Literacy Instruction?
Balanced because it’s not driven by any one particular educational philosophy or teaching style (phonics vs. whole language).
“Rather, we must recognize that the issue of balance is better described in terms of multiple dimensions of both content and context.”
Source: Pearson,D.L, & Raphael, T. (2003). Toward a More Complex View of Balance in the Literary Curriculum. Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, 2nd Edition, p. 34. New York, The Guilford Press.

7. What is Balanced Literacy Instruction?
Balanced because it incorporates all six areas of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Reading – Foundational Skills
Reading – Literature
Reading – Informational Text
Writing
Speaking and Listening
Language
Source: CCSS June 2, 2010

8. What is Balanced Literacy Instruction?
Balanced because it incorporates research based, essential elements of effective reading instruction
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Source: National Reading Panel Report 2000

9. What is Balanced Literacy Instruction?
Balanced because it moves students from dependence to independence through:
Explicit Instruction
Guided Practice
Independent Application

10. What is Balanced Literacy Instruction?
Balanced because it incorporates flexible grouping
Whole Class Instruction
Homogeneous Small Groups
Heterogeneous Small Groups
Partner Groups
Individual

11. Balance Literacy in Practice at BTS
Modeled Reading
CCSS: Speaking and Listening, Language
Word Work – Fundations/Spelling Connections
CCSS: Foundational Skills
Shared Reading
Guided Reading
Independent Reading
CCSS: Reading Literature, Reading Informational Text, Speaking and Listening, Language
Writing Workshop
CCSS: Language, Writing

12. Modeled Reading Read Alouds High-Quality Literature/Informational Text
Above Grade Level
Challenging, Complex Language
Models Fluency, Vocabulary and Deep Thinking
Builds Background Knowledge
Whole Class
Teacher Has Copy

13. Read Aloud – A Bear for All Seasons
Modeled Reading
Read Aloud – A Bear for All Seasons
By Diane Marcial Fuchs
“Reading aloud to children has been called the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading.”
Source: Armruster, B., Lehr, F., & Osborn, J. (2006). A Child Becomes a Reader, Proven Ideas from Research for Parents, Kindergarten Through Grade 3, 3rd Editoin. p. 4. RMC Research Corporation,New Hampshire.

14. Read Aloud – A Bear for All Seasons
Modeled Reading
Read Aloud – A Bear for All Seasons
Challenging, Complex Language:
Bear’s eyelids felt as heavy as iron skillets.
Buds smile into delicate leaves.
Leaves crunch underfoot. An earthy smell fills the air.
The earth goes to bed under a pure white blanket of snow.
The trees outside groaned. The winter winds moaned.

15. Word Work Fundations Grades K to 2 Spelling Connections Grades 3 and 4
Phonemic Awareness and Phonics
Fluency – “trick words”
Direct, Explicit Instruction
Students Segment, Spell and Blend Sounds
Spelling Connections Grades 3 and 4
Word lists follow particular pattern
Independent practice
Spelling words integrated with variety of language, reading, and writing activities
Assessment of spelling abilities for re-teaching opportunities as well as for enrichment
Cross-curricular activities

16. Supporting Word Work at Home
Encourage your child to use strategies to decode unfamiliar words (demonstration)
Use alphabet books, magnetic letters, rhyming books, predictable stories
Other strategies…look for word patterns, chunks, prefixes, suffixes
Self-monitoring-does the sentence make sense?

17. Shared Reading High-Quality, Mentor Texts Grade Level
Selected to Teach Specific Skills
Big Books or Teacher and Students Have Copy
Whole Class
Shared Experience

18. Supporting Shared Reading at Home
Read with your child everyday
Encourage your child to read to you
Choose books of interest to your child
For younger children, choose books with pictures that match the story, and larger print with only a few words on the page
Set aside a special place for your child to keep collections of books

19. Guided Reading Leveled Literature/Informational Text
Levels Range from A to Z
Fluency and Comprehension
Teacher Guides Students Through Instructional Level Text
Small, Homogeneous Grouping
Each Student Has Copy

20. Independent Reading Fluency, Vocabulary, Comprehension
Independent Level Texts
Student Choice
Independent Application of Strategies

21. Supporting Guided Reading and Independent Reading at Home
Set aside a time for reading at home
Model these Before, During, and After reading strategies :
Before- take a “picture walk” through the book and make predictions and inferences about the story
During- monitor comprehension
After- for fiction, discuss characters, problem, solution, and resolution, retell important events. For non-fiction summarize main idea and supporting details.

22. Writing Workshop Mentor Text
Teacher reads mentor text with exemplary writing selected to illustrate specific skill.
Modeled Writing
Teacher thinks and writes aloud while students observe.
Shared Writing
Teacher writes aloud with students participating.
Guided Writing
Students write their own product with input from teacher and peer conferences.
Independent Writing
Students enjoy free choice writing in journals.

23. Supporting Writing at Home
Keep in mind that reading and writing are connected and are not taught in isolation
Often the first thing a child reads is his/her own writing
Write grocery lists, notes, letters to friends and relatives, keep journals, diaries
When drawing, label pictures
Have various writing materials readily available

24. Literacy Stations
Modeled Reading
Word Study – Fundations and Spelling Connections
Shared Reading and Listening
Guided Reading and Independent Reading
Writing Workshop